Second Temple Studies IV: Historiography and History(The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)

The book represents the collection of the papers presented at the 2004 SBL sessions for the section, Social-Scientific Studies of the Second Temple period, the purpose of which was to create understanding about current historiography as it relates to biblical studies and ancient Israel amidst diverging academic trends. Papers and responses sought to avoid polemics while concurrently bringing to clarification methodological practices of prominent historians in an effort to move beyond hortatory polemics. Those writing papers were asked to specify their own methodology and the assumptions and philosophy underlying their methodology in an effort to create understanding for the audience. Respondents to the papers met two requests - to summarize the methodology of the paper and to respond to the methodology, philosophy, and presuppositions of the historian.

Table of Contents:
I. Introduction: Alice Hunt II. Historiography: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How 1. Niels Peter Lemche, University of Copenhagen, Seeking Clarity on Methodology 2. Sara Mandell, University of South Florida, respondent 3. William G. Dever, University of Arizona, History as It Should Be 4. Douglas A. Knight, Vanderbilt University, respondent 5. Diana Edelman, University of Sheffield, Archaeology and History: The Connection 6. Thomas L. Thompson, University of Copenhagen, respondent 7. Jerome H. Neyrey, University of Notre Dame, Social-Science, History, and the Late Second Temple Period 8. Ingrid Hjelm, University of Copenhagen, respondent 9. Joseph Blenkinsopp, University of Notre Dame, Historiography, Priests, and Cults 10. Philip Davies, University of Sheffield, respondent 11. Kenneth Hoglund, Wake Forest University, Persian Period Jerusalem 12. Jon Berquist, Westminster John Knox, respondent 13. Norman K. Gottwald, Pacific School of Religion, Social-Science Informing History 14. John Halligan, St. Johns Fisher College, respondent 15. Alice W. Hunt, Vanderbilt University, Telling the Truth about Historiography and Biblical Studies 16. Lester Grabbe, University of Hull, respondent 17. Sara Mandell Making History: The Impact of Second Temple Studies on Biblical Historiography III. Future Directions

About the Author :
Alice Hunt is President of Chicago Theological Seminary.

Review :
Summarized. The book would be of interest to scholars keeping up with current issues in historiography, and general readers trying to grasp why biblical scholars seem to have such divergent views on the relationship between the Bible and history. The book's dialectic coverage stands directly on the main arteries of today's historiography issues in Second Temple studies.